Wheel



(No Model.)

A. G. JENNINGS.

WHEEL.

No. 556,848. Patented Mar. 24, 1896.

INVEI! TOR WITNESSES: m

A A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM G. JENNINGS, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,848, dated March 24, 1896.

Ap lication filed fileptemlaer 16, 1896. Serial No. 662,612. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM G. JENNINGS, a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in "Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wheels, and has for its object to produce a new and improved wheel which may be cheaply constructed.

The invention is directed mainly to the improvement of the portion of the wheel forming the tread-to wit, the rim and tire or tread; and it consists in the construction of folly hereinafter set forth and claimed.

My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective showin g a portion of the wheel-felly made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the same, showing the blocks hereinafter referred to breaking joint.

In general terms the invention consists in a wheel-felly comprising an annular metallic hollow wheel-rim struck up from a single piece in the transverse direction and having a constricted mouth or opening, the said hollow wheel-rim being combined with a filling of wood or other analogous material which forms the tread of the wheel, which wood filling is inserted and retained in the hollow rim in a manner hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, a represents asocket which is preferably made of metal struck up from a single piece in a transverse direction into angular form and which is curved in the direction of its length. This socket is flat in cross-section in the interior of the curve, as shown at a, so as to form a flat bearing for the wood filling. Rising from this flat portion are straight walls a a which are inclined toward one another, thus forming a constricted mouth or openingfrom which inserted socket-blocks b b 2: project. Of these blocks one, b, is tapered and flanked on either side by a filling or wedging block 1) 73 which are of less cross-section than the block b and which are laid against the sides of the block b, so as to fill the entire space between the walls a a with their bases resting upon the base-wall a of the rim, so that each block extends from the periphery of the wheel to the fiat base=wall a and is supported thereby. The ends or edges of these blocks project beyond the walls a a of th e rim, and when made of wood are cut so that the grain of the wood runs perpendicularly to the base-wall a of the rim or at a considerable angle thereto. The blocks may be of any desired number and of any desired size, and in the construction shown are staggered so as to break joints, as clearly seen in Fig. 3.

It will thus be observed that the spokes 0 may be inserted into the rim, which spokes may also enter a suitable hub b. When thus constructed the blocks will form the tread of the wheel. The spokes and hub may be of any desired kind. For instance, I have shown in Fig. 1 metallic spokes, such as are used ordinarily in bicycles, and in Fig. 2 the ordinary wood vehicle-spoke.

By my invention I am enabled to provide a cheap and efficient wheel wherein the wood which forms the tread is supported in such a manner that there is little if any liability of it being displaced or of the socket which retains the blocks being distorted.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide a metallic wheel-rim having a filling of wood or analogous material; so, therefore, I do not claim such a construction broadly; but

That I claim, and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent, is-

A wheel comprising a hollow metallic rim struck up from a single piece in the transverse direction and having a base-wall a flat in cross-section from which extend straight walls a inclined toward each other, fillingblocks retained within the socket, comprising a series of wedge-shaped blocks I) laid in the hollow socket and flanked on both sides by smaller filling or wedging blocks 22 11 each of which blocks is supported at its flat face upon the base-wall a of the socket and extends outside thereof to form the tread of the wheel and spokes connected with the socket, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

ABRAHAM G. JENNINGS. \Vitnesses:

GEO. E. MORSE, HARRY ill. TUBK. 

